Advent Calendar
by Imogen Bradford
Summary: Katie and Alicia are on the run together after Voldemort has taken over. Christmas draws near, and they find a bit of happiness despite the dark times. Written for "A Prompty Christmas Contest." Deathly Hallows, femmeslash Read/Review?


**A/N: **_So here's my entry for Thoughts Like Raindrops' "A Prompty Christmas Contest." My prompt was "Advent Calendar," and this is what I did with it. This is set during Deathly Hallows, at which time I totally think Katie Bell and Alicia Spinet ran away together. I hope you like it!_

* * *

><p>Katie and Alicia lay huddled together, having a precious moment of peace after weeks of staying on the move. They had to avoid the Ministry at all costs—Katie, because her father had been a Muggle, and Alicia, for helping her—and they had been on the run together since summer. With the onset of winter, they knew that they would need to find a more permanent shelter, and finally this morning, they had stumbled upon an old barn that looked like it had been vacant for years. Deciding that this would probably be the best that they could find, the two had cast as many protective charms on the thing as they knew before making camp inside.<p>

Presently, the two girls were in the loft, holding each other in a pile of stale hay with an old quilt pulled over them, listening to the voices of Lee Jordan and Fred Weasley coming through the wireless.

"—_But if you do end up anywhere remote, keep an eye out for useful potion ingredients!" _Lee was finishing the broadcast. "_But beware of patrols of Snatchers. You aren't paranoid, they are looking for you._

"_Keep warm, as it's only the first day of December, and it's only going to get colder. Can't say when we'll next be on the air, but when we are, the password will be 'Fawkes.' Stay safe, keep your eyes peeled—"_

"_And support Harry Potter!"_

With the conclusion of the program, the station dissolved into static, and Alicia turned to face her lover. "It's December, my dear. That means that our anniversary is coming up, on Christmas Eve." She tried to keep a cheerful tone. The night's _Potterwatch _had been depressing, as usual, with the added sorrow that a Muggle family of six had been found murdered in their home.

Katie sighed. "How are we going to be able to celebrate Christmas, in times like these?" She looked worried, defeated. The months of hiding and grieving had taken their toll; she was no longer so hopeful or strong as she had been before.

Alicia squeezed her reassuringly. "Of course we can celebrate Christmas. In fact, I think it would be good to have something to look forward to in all of this." She smiled a bit wider, and kissed her.

Katie returned the kiss half-heartedly, but clung tighter to her. "But how will we even remember?" She whispered. "We can't keep track of the days anymore…we wouldn't have known it was December if it wasn't for _Potterwatch."_

The other girl thought for a minute, absently kissing the top of her head.

"I've got it!" She said. "Can I get up for a second?"

Katie obliged, and moved aside so that Alicia could stand up. She crossed the floor over to where their rucksacks were, and knelt down. She sifted through her own, before coming back with a quill and parchment.

"We'll make an Advent Calendar," she declared, sitting down. "My mother used to do one with me every year."

"An Advent Calendar?"

"Yes," she replied. "You draw a holiday picture, and put down the numbers one through twenty-five throughout it. Each day, you find the corresponding number and cross it off." She took the quill and wrote _Katie and Alicia's Advent Calendar _across the top of the parchment. "And the twenty-fifth day will be Christmas Eve." She began drawing a Christmas tree, and on each ornament, she put a number.

Katie watched her draw, and couldn't help but smile. One of the many things that she loved about Alicia was her ability to find good even in the worst situations. If she was determined to bring Christmas cheer to two fugitives in a musty old barn, then she would do it.

"This is wonderful, love," she leaned into her. "Thank you…"

"It's no problem," Alicia smiled back as she finished her drawing, before getting up again and pinning it to the wall. "Shall we cross off the first day then?"

Katie nodded, so Alicia took her quill and put an X over the number one.

"There," she came back over and but an arm around her. "Now what would you say to going downstairs and trying to light a fire? I'm freezing."

* * *

><p>Three days passed. Three days of cold and fear and isolation. Katie woke up each morning and crossed off a number on the calendar, before huddling back up with Alicia until they were both starving and had to go scavenging for whatever food they could find. The first day it was two chicken eggs. The second day it was a few berries. The third day it was nothing.<p>

On the fourth afternoon, they caught a rabbit.

"What are we going to do with it?" Katie asked nervously. She cringed every time it banged against the sides of the box that they had trapped in.

"Eat it, of course," Alicia replied practically, trying to hide her discomfort.

"I can't kill a rabbit…"

Alicia took a deep breath, her hunger ruling over her repulsion.

"I can."

She took the thing out back, leaving Katie alone inside. She returned and hour later with a plate of steaming meat, half-smiling.

"Dinner time…"

Katie tried not to look disgusted—she didn't want to hurt Alicia's feelings, not to mention that she hadn't been this hungry before in her life. She picked up a piece and took a small bite. The meat was a bit bland, but not too bad. She took another.

"Thank you," she said quietly.

"It was no problem…I know it's not much, but it's better than having an empty stomach."

They ate in silence, but when they were finished it was nice to feel comfortably full and still have food left over. This boosted Katie's spirits, and she smiled as they huddled up together for warmth after dinner.

"What are we going to do about presents?" She asked, tracing Alicia's dark cheek.

"What do you mean?" She replied, puzzled.

"Christmas presents. Anniversary presents. What are we going to do about them?" Katie continued on. "It's not like we can just walk into a store, but I still want to get you something."

"Dear…" Alicia smiled, cradling her. "We'll figure something out." They fell silent for a moment.

"This is going to be a different sort of Christmas, isn't it?" She mused, looking thoughtful.

Her lover nodded. "But I'm excited—it's our first Christmas alone together."

Alicia was overcome by a sudden wave of emotion, and blinked back a tear. She could see a small bit of a braver Katie shining through, trying to be strong despite all of this. "It will, won't it?" This question was all she could manage, but it seemed to be enough.

Katie smiled, and kissed her softly. "I love you."

She grinned, now letting the tears run down her cheeks. "I love you too!" She kissed her back passionately, and all of the horrors around them went away for a moment.

* * *

><p>There were nine Xs on the calendar by the time the next <em>Potterwatch<em> aired. The couple brought the wireless set down next to the fire, so that they could stay warmer as they listened. Today had been another day when they hadn't managed to find anything to eat, and it was comforting to have something that would take their minds off of the growls coming from their stomachs.

"_Yes, for all those who haven't heard, the Ministry has licensed so-called 'Snatchers' to hunt down and bring in anyone who is deemed to be '__Undesirable__.'" _Lee announced through the speaker.

"_Well, that wouldn't be us then, would it? I mean, we've both had_ loads _of girlfriends." _Fred Weasley joked, and Katie giggled.

"_It must be those cute little cheeks and whiskers, Rodent."_

"_That's right Tentacula!"_

"_Tentacula?" _Lee sounded annoyed at this new nickname, but continued:

"_So, to all those who find themselves being unjustly labeled 'Undesirable,' we here at_ Potterwatch _salute you! And to all those people who really_ are _Undesirable—_

Fred coughed and it sounded a lot like the names "Umbridge" and "Malfoy."

"—_your time will come."_

"_And with that, we conclude. Keep each other safe, keep faith, and help Harry Potter!" _

"_Yes! And we suggest that you continue to show your devotion to the man with the lightening scar by listening to..."_

"POTTERWATCH_!"_

The radio fell silent, and the girls kept quiet for a long time after, both wondering if they were on the list of "Undesirables."

* * *

><p>If anything, the girls didn't think of each other as "Undesirable." Quite to the contrary, they spent almost all of their time kissing and pressed together under hay and blankets for warmth. By the fifteenth day, they were finally feeling safer together, and the loft of the barn began feeling like an impenetrable fortress, or a small hideout, where no one could hurt them.<p>

For the first time in months, they made love. Katie finally allowed herself to be safe and happy that night as she and Alicia carefully explored each other's bodies, like it was the first time all over again. The act didn't seem like something that shouldn't be done during the war, but rather their own personal battle against all that would want to stop them. It was easy to forget about everything and pretend that there was nothing else in the world, and nothing dangerous to worry about.

Afterwards, Alicia held the younger girl, murmuring into her ear. "We're going to be alright here, my darling…I can feel it."

"As long as I'm close to you…" Katie pulled her closer. "This war could go on forever as long as I still have you."

"And when its over, we'll get a little apartment together," Alicia replied, yawning contentedly. They also had not talked about their dreams ever since they had been on the run. It was exhilarating to think that there could be a future beyond all of this. "And we'll get a cat."

"Two cats," Katie kissed her nose. "Two cats. So that they can both have a friend."

Alicia smiled. "Whatever you like."

* * *

><p>On the nineteenth day, the snow that had been falling steadily began to lighten, and was gone by noon. Katie came up to the loft, with a face that Alicia knew to mean that she wanted to ask for something, but feared that she would say that it was silly.<p>

"What is it?" Alicia asked, hugging her.

Katie replied in a very small voice: "I think that we should get a Christmas tree. There are some small pines not too far from here, and I think it would be nice…" She blushed, expecting to hear her companion tell her that it would be impractical, of that it wasn't a good idea.

To her surprise, Alicia smiled. "That would be lovely!"

"Really?" She beamed in return.

Alicia nodded. "Let me just get my cloak and my wand, and we'll go find one."

A few minutes later, the girls left the safety of their barn and walked about a kilometer to the edge of a forest. The spent about fifteen minutes looking, before settling on a small pine tree. It was only about a meter tall, and Katie used a quick Severing Charm to bring it down. They levitated it back to the barn and up into the loft, where they sat it up right next to the Advent Calendar.

"I like it," Katie smiled. "I just wish it had some decorations…"

Alicia considered it for a minute, before taking a small piece of wood that had fallen off of the wall and transfiguring it into a star with a touch of her wand. "There," she said, placing it atop the tree.

"Perfect," Katie kissed her cheek approvingly.

"It's a bit more festive in here now, isn't it?" Alicia commented, looking around the filthy, dilapidated barn. Both girls couldn't help but laugh at this, and it was incredible to remember that there was such a thing as laughter.

"Maybe we should fix it up a bit?" Katie suggested.

Alicia agreed, and they set to work. They transfigured some of the old hay into colorful paper chains, and hung them around the walls. The gathered pinecones from outside to use as ornaments, and found some cowbells down below that could be cleaned off with magic. By the end of the day, it was much cozier, and starting to actually look like the holiday was coming. As a final touch, Katie took a bit more wood and turned it into a small Nativity set, then set it up under the tree.

They took a look around, admiring their work.

"I couldn't imagine a better place to spend Christmas," Alicia said, putting her arm around Katie's shoulders.

Katie rested her head against her shoulder and smiled. "Neither can I…" She leaned up and kissed her. "All of this work made me hungry, though. Want to warm up that left over duck from yesterday?"

"Sure," Alicia agreed.

They used a makeshift table and pretended that they were at a five-star restaurant, making small talk on their imaginary jobs and clinking together their imaginary wineglasses, even though they were just cups of melted snow. The soft light of the lantern made for a comforting atmosphere, and they intertwined the fingers of the hands that they weren't eating with.

* * *

><p>The twenty-fifth day dawned cold and bright, and the pair stayed in bed much longer than usual to enjoy how warm it was under their quilt.<p>

"Happy anniversary," Katie whispered, kissing Alicia's cheek.

"Happy anniversary," she replied. "Do you remember how we got together?"

"How could I forget?" Katie giggled. "Didn't you invite me over for the holidays in my sixth year, before cornering me under the mistletoe at your parent's Christmas party?"

Alicia kissed her nose. "Not before you had a few butterbeers and confessed your secret love for me that you'd been trying—unsuccessfully, may I add—to hide for five years." Katie blushed, and she laughed, kissing her full on the lips. "I'm just glad that you told me…I didn't want to go and make a move before you were ready."

"You're so thoughtful," Katie kissed her back passionately, which led to another two hours spent in bed.

* * *

><p>The next day was Christmas, and they had decided to postpone all present-opening until now. There were two small boxes under the tree, one for each of them, from the other.<p>

Katie opened hers first. It was a small ring that Alicia had transfigured from one of the bolts on the old Muggle tractor that was rusting outside of the barn.

"I love it," she said breathlessly, putting it on. "It's wonderful!"

"You really like it?" Alicia asked, and Katie threw her arms around her.

"Yes! Yes, it's amazing!" She kissed her. "Thank you…I'll never take it off."

"What if I get you a nicer one?"

"You'll have to get one that goes with this, love." She smiled. "This one is too special. It couldn't be replaced."

Alicia blushed, but was pleased. After a few more kisses and thank-yous from Katie, she opened her own present.

It contained a small hand-made picture frame of pieces of wood from the barn, with a Muggle Polaroid in the center. Alicia remembered this picture—it was the last picture that Katie's father had taken of the two of them before all of these awful things had happened over the summer. Her breath caught as she looked at it, seeing how happy and carefree they were.

"We'll be happy like this again," Katie promised, wrapping her arms around her lover. "I wanted to remind you of how things used to be…and how they will be."

Alicia held her tightly, crying but smiling. "I can't wait, sweetheart…"

"It won't be long." Katie looked hopeful, her Gyrffindor bravery finally showing again on that Christmas morning.


End file.
